


Guards have ears too

by ihatenew



Series: Camelot Has Ears [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arthur isn't as thick as people think he is, First Kiss, Fix-It, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together, Light Angst, M/M, Magic Revealed, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), guards aren't stupid and can hear shit, reaveling secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-12 17:40:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29264412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ihatenew/pseuds/ihatenew
Summary: Sometimes, people can forget that guards are a part of Camelot too. Especially when stationed near physicians quarters.
Relationships: Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Camelot Has Ears [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2149080
Comments: 6
Kudos: 125





	1. The Secret

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic on this site. English is not my first language and it's my first fic in this language so I apologise for any mistakes. Enjoy your reading.

Working as a guard in Camelot wasn’t as hard as Garret and Wallace expected it to be. They both started working in the castle as young men, finding themselves in the dark of corridors and exchanging shy smiles every time they got to be together on duty. Camelot was constantly under attack, be it from other kingdoms or sorcerers seeking vengeance for Camelot’s ban of magic but strangely enough, they were almost never in any danger. The worst that could happen to them was being knocked unconscious while someone escaped from castle dungeons.  
The same thing happened the first time they heard something they shouldn’t.  
They were stationed by the physician’s quarters. For months now they succeed in persuading their superior to pair them together. At this point every person working in the castle knew about their relationship. They weren’t that secretive about it either, so it was better for them to be together rather than purposefully splitting them up and making them unfocused and worried about the other.  
They stand there, smirking at each other. Everything is quiet, with occasional strum of glass while Court Physician readies potions for needy nobleman. The peace ceases to enjoy when Merlin, freshly admitted personal manservant of prince Arthur ran past them and burst the door open, with visible mix of anxiety and irritation written all over his face.  
He absent-mindedly tried to close them, only to fail by mere centimetres. He didn’t realise this, stomping towards his mentor. The guards exchange quick glances, thinking that they will hear another entertaining but quite lengthy rant about prince’s prattines. They experienced this a couple times now, and every time they managed to hear some utterly fantastic stories about the prince. By the night they are always spread amongst other servants, making them smile at young Pendragon whenever they meet him in the corridors the day after. That raised some questions for both men involved in the stories, making them banter about it even more and fuel the cycle.  
This time, however, his rant took a turn both guards wouldn’t even dare imagining.  
It started pretty innocently- another visiting noblewoman tried to court the prince, but she was suspiciously adamant about not letting anyone near her current love interest at all times during her stay. This included Merlin and he wasn’t very happy about it. Mostly, he was worried about Arthur, who for unknown reasons was perfectly content with this, letting her drag him around the castle and making him talk about every silly detail, from the types of weapons in the armoury to the types of stones used to build everything.  
Merlin suspected it wasn’t totally innocent that she wanted to know everything about the castle, but he couldn’t pinpoint why she needed this. Was it some sort of new ways to infiltrate Camelot and to get to know it’s secrets with the use of magic or she just wanted to test how far in absurd can the prince go before he started to question his activities with her? Merlin haven’t got a slightest idea and it was driving him mad. Even Uther seemed okay with his son running around and goofing all day instead of fulfilling his duties.  
Merlin was at loss. He tried everything to knock Arthur into his senses. He tried to banter with him, didn’t do his chores and even got extra creative with making new insults- ones that would definitely give him a nice time in stocks. Guards snickered when Merlin listed them all, earning a disappointed huff from his mentor. They knew that the boy from Ealdor had quite a mouth- from the first day of being in Camelot he managed to offend prince of Camelot, but somehow from being in stocks and having food thrown at his head he advanced to be prince’s manservant. He had to have a way with words. Or shoving prince to the ground when a dagger is flying towards his chest. No one will know.  
That’s when they heard it. Merlin fell on a bench with a dramatic sigh. For a moment he went silent.  
“I’m sure magic could help”. The room went silent and guards tensed up, to surprised to even breathe.  
“Merlin! You know magic is not an answer to everything. You shouldn’t be meddling with prince’s love life without even knowing if he’s really under spell.” Gaius sharpened his tone with every spoken word. “Besides, I warned you about using your magic in Camelot. How many times have you used it already, doing it instinctively and almost exposing yourself?”  
Their argument carried off, but neither Wallace or Garret could hear it because of blood rushing loudly through their ears. Have they been guarding a sorcerer all this time? Has a Court Physician hided a being of magic under the nose of king Uther? How was he able to do that?  
***  
Wallace and Garret’s room was unbearably silent. They have been relieved off duty more than an hour ago, then swiftly prepared themselves for the night but once they sat on their bed and stopped moving, thousands of thoughts flooded their minds.  
Was Merlin really a sorcerer? If so, why hasn’t he attacked the royal family yet? Every sorcerer they’ve encountered up until this moment was always after the heads of Pendragons. Was Merlin any different?  
They both simultaneously decided that Merlin couldn’t possibly desire such a thing. Countless times they and others witnessed how distressed Merlin looked every time death threats loomed over Arthur, jumping and ready to help even when prince just barely tripped. This kind of loyalty and protectiveness couldn’t possibly mean that Merlin just waited for the right time to strike. And even if that was true, they didn’t want to believe it. So, for the next few days, they will watch him.  
And they did. It turned out it was rather easy. Merlin rarely paid attention to the guards, having a habit of bustling through doors unannounced and having no care in his surroundings, even if he theoretically was supposed to with all the magic-hiding. Wallace and Garret managed to get signed up to the Prince’s chambers for a longer time period, using an excuse of wanting to do their work harder and wanting to be of bigger importance. Their superior seemed to believe that or just didn’t care where they ended up at this point. He had more problems with dungeon guards letting out prisoners almost every chance they got. For now, the days were peaceful, being unable to do anything about visiting noblewoman with strict prohibition about using magic from Gaius and so Merlin seemed as any other manservant. Or at least that’s what Wallace thought before Garret told him that he shouldn’t just watch him. He should look at the minor details. How no matter how many times Merlin trips, the food from the tray or the drink he’s carrying almost never fall from his hands. How the monstrous amount of laundry and armour Arthur basically throws into his arms is always neat clean and polished within a day. How Arthur always says that he’s completely useless but if there’s one thing he can do right is having his hot batch perfectly timed out to when he completes his training even though he brings hot water as far as an hour before that. How he manages to be Gaius helper and Arthur’s manservant gathering herbs at the same time while he should be cleaning prince’s room, ending up completing both tasks.  
It was extraordinary how on the surface he looked like clumsy country boy trying desperately to fulfil any demands from his superiors, but when no one’s looking, he does everything almost at ease, never ceasing to smile and banter with everyone that talked to him. As if he was capable of more but never showed it to the world, afraid of the responsibilities he would have to deal with afterwards. More things he would have to care about, more weight on his shoulders.  
After observing him and finding out about all that, their opinion on Merlin’s innocence only hardened, but they couldn’t rely on their judgement alone.  
So, they started asking. Most servants described him as a ray of sunshine with eyes blue like a clear sky, making them laugh just by his presence. The cooks were rather fond of him, except for the fact that he liked to steal freshly baked pies and stuff himself on the way to Arthur’s room. He helped everyone that asked him, be it helping to fold the laundry or talking and helping them feel better. Knights also liked him, mainly because they could relax a little while training, watching as Arthur smashed his living-shield to the ground for nth time and laughing when they could hear few colourful curses from under the wood and metal. Hell, even towns people liked when he popped by with Gwen, chatting and joking while trying to buy at the lowest prices. And when they couldn’t talk- they listened.  
Most of visiting nobles were in dire need of Court Physician’s potions and Merlin was always the one delivering them. He was always on time, clearly saying how to dose the remedies and to have a fantastic day. No aristocrat would admit that they liked anyone being lower than them, but they couldn’t help but agree on him being very responsible and skilful. Hell, even Uther referred to Merlin as a “loyal manservant’’ of his son, clearly blind to how tense and anxious Merlin was whenever he was near him.  
So overall, Merlin was happiness in a human form. Did that mean that his magic was good too? But why would he want to live in Camelot if he practised magic? That was the only thing that was left in question.  
And only Merlin could answer it.  
They didn’t quite know how to do it. They were fairly sure that if they just tried to casually ask him about it, he would either laugh it off and run away or drop dead in that moment, being frightened beyond his senses. The only thing they wanted was for it to go as delicate as possible, with quick reassurance that they will listen to everything he has to say before making their judgement.  
On the other hand, they were the guards of Camelot. Were they allowed to make decisions themselves when Camelot could be possibly in danger? Or worse, could they keep it a secret if they decided to help Merlin? Would they have to help him? Cover for him? Would they be able to take up that task? After they thought about it, laying cuddled up in their cot in the darkness, they decided that time will tell if their lives will intervene with Merlin’s. they will let everything happen naturally.  
And so, they did. When Merlin figured out that clingy noblewoman wanted to know everything about castle because after her visit, she planned to put a curse with a group of other magic-practicing nobles to make almost every object in Camelot having only one goal- to hurt Pendragons, he successfully cornered her and made her confess (maybe with a sprinkle of magic to untangle her tongue and made her spill out the truth) in front of king Uther himself. Her father, terrified of what his daughter had become managed to rescue her from the pyre, promising that he will lock her in a tower and keep her there until she comes back from “the road of darkness” as he called it, once again becoming loyal to Camelot. They vanished before dawn with Uther’s trusted knight sent to their home to watch over noblewomen’s “recovery”. Arthur came back to his usual self, content that he had a reason to take some spare time and relieve himself from a few of his duties, making it seem as he wanted to be exactly sure he was no longer under any charm before they announced his full recovery. In response to that Merlin laughed while telling Gaius that this was only because Arthur hasn’t been sleeping for a few nights in a row, spending most time with the villain and doing everything she wished and now he slept in (while wildly snoring), complaining if Merlin tried to wake him up before midday. He also went on quite a few hunting trips, but this probably had to do with the laughs of people saying that it only takes to be a woman to wrap a prince around the finger. Most of servants thought that because the with hasn’t burned, the whole magic thing was just a made-up story to cover prince’s women weakness. These rumours were quite hurtful, and Merlin’s eyes looked pretty dark telling them to concerned Guinevere, ready to defend the prince.  
The guards watched everything unfold before them. This wasn’t a good time to talk to Merlin about his secrets. They never really talked anyway, so they stayed in the shadows as usual, being the silent witnesses. Until one night Merlin saw them for the first time.  
They were in trouble. Since prince went on so many trips and was gone for days, as a guards assigned to protect his quarters they were quite jobless, staying for hours on end guarding empty rooms, so they handed this duty to the less experienced guards making it almost a first vacation they had in years. They used it rather well, spending some time in taverns and taking very long walks in the dark of the night. They laughed, sitting in the kitchen and persuading the cooks to give them freshly made food for their picnics. Other guards didn’t like that they had so much freedom, but they didn’t do anything about it, recalling countless times when the couple taken on additional jobs, giving them a time to breathe. They were heading towards their room now, intoxicated and giggly. Their arms were clasped tightly around each other’s waist while they bumped lightly into cold stone walls of the castle, their bubbly state being an aftermath of a fantastic evening. They rounded the corner, Wallace nuzzling his nose into Garret’s hair, when he abruptly stopped.  
They bumped into Merlin. Tired, dirty and wet Merlin, stomping through Camelot’s corridors with his flooded boots.  
***  
Merlin was more than flustered. He and Arthur came back from the hunting trip in the middle of the night, because some prats couldn’t wait a damn minute and have to cross the log while other people try to walk across it carefully, making them fall into freezing cold river and lose all the baggage they was carrying. Before they composed themselves to try and rescue their stuff, they already floated away far enough for Merlin to not being able to bring them back unless he helped himself with magic. And so, they were left with themselves and their horses, equipped with minimal rations and no food, because all the bags the animals were riding with were in Merlin’s hands, so they could dump them on the other side and the horses would at least have it a little easier to cross the job. Or that was what Arthur wanted him to believe- he secretly thought it was just to make it harder for him to not slip and make a fool of himself. Because of that, they had to come back quickly. Arthur did not even let them rest for a moment and dry their clothes on the rocks, so they arrived in the night, exhausted and bitter. Arthur automatically went into his room, collapsing on the bed and demanding hot bath, making Merlin run across the entire castle. And now, on the way to complete the clotpoles demand, he stumbled across a pair of lovebirds.  
He instantly noticed the placement of the hands and the love-filled stares. He recognised them as the guards stationed to Arthur’s rooms. He could feel his entire face flush, not knowing where to look.  
“Hi?” he squeaked out. The guards looked at him like he was their friend they really wanted to talk to. That somehow made him a little nervous.  
“Hi there!” they both exclaimed excited. They looked at each other, clearly thinking about something. “You’re back from the hunting trip?”  
“Yeah. I was just fetching hot water for the prince” he answered, trying to delicately go past them, but they caught him mid action.  
“Yeah, about that” they paused for a moment “the thing is, we actually wanted to talk to you. It’s pretty important.”  
Merlin’s face dropped. Was it possible that during their absence Camelot managed to gain another enemy? Was Arthur in danger again? He really needed a vacation.  
“If there’s emergency in Camelot it’s better that I know it now and warn the prince to…”  
“Oh no, it’s about you” they waved their hands in dismissing matter, clearly not wanting to hear about the prince now. “We’ve had something we wanted to… discuss with you. When do you have time?”  
Merlin was puzzled. He never really spoke to any of the guards, finding them a bit uncomfortable to be around. They tended to really sweeten it up to the nobles and didn’t really cared about the rest of the people working in Camelot, finding them beneath them. At least the ones he had to misfortune encounter. Most of them were just quiet and kept everything professional, not wanting to befriend anybody. But that doesn’t mean he should just be rude, right?  
“Uh, sure. I’m certain that tomorrow Arthur will hand me a lot of armour to polish, so I’ll be in the armoury doing that for most of the afternoon” he shrugged. “You can catch me then.”  
“Good, good. We will talk tomorrow” they nodded, clearly content. “Goodnight” they waved at him and staggered down the corridor, leaving Merlin with questions and a raised hand. 

***  
The next morning was awful. If they knew that the next day they would have to come back to work, they would never go out and drink till late hours. Their heads throbbed as they tried to stay still, wincing every time they heard a loud noise.  
The only good thing they got out of it was that they finally talked to Merlin. They must have been looking bad and highly unprofessional when they stumbled upon him, but he agreed to talk to them, so it was a progress. The only thing they got to do now was to survive till the afternoon. Two youngsters promised to cover for them when they explained that the matters, they needed to discuss with Merlin consisted of prince’s well-being. It may have been linked to this, but they still felt pretty bad when their lying gaze met with youthful puppy eyes wanting nothing but to serve and be loyal.  
When the time came, they passed their weapons and walked towards the armoury, trying to look as inconspicuous as always. They met Merlin crouched town on a little stool, piece of folded metal hugged to him tightly while he tried to polish one of tiny pieces of ornament on the edge of breastplate. His clear reflection peered at them, completely lost in his task.  
They tried to come up to him calmly, not wanting to startle him. They failed obviously. Garret’s slight touch to Merlin’s shoulder ended up with manservant laying on the floor, wide-eyed and breathing heavily. Loud clanging echoed through the armoury, when all of polished pieces fell to the floor.  
“Sorry” Garret smiled at him reassuringly. “You seemed so focused we didn’t want to surprise you”.  
“And looked how that turned out” he shoots them a crooked smile, shuffling awkwardly from the ground. “What is it that you wanted to talk about with me?”  
“It’s a little discreet” they stumbled, coming closer towards him. Merlin seemed taken aback but didn’t step back. Instead, his curiosity taken over him, making him lean in and listen closely.  
“It’s about you” he looked at them questioningly.” About your secret… your very illegal secret”.  
For a moment, they couldn’t read him. But when they did, the crushing fear that that took over Merlin’s face was something they’ve never seen before.  
***  
Merlin felt as his whole world collapsed on. He couldn’t breathe, feeling as if his lungs gave out on him, already shanked and ashen because of pyre’s heat. His legs gave out unbeknownst to him, making him fall on stone cold floor and frighten his companions. His whole vision went dark, leaving him in helpless void surrounded by voices sounding behind the curtain, disoriented and morphed into boneless shapes. He felt like drowning, but it was fire that enveloped him, dragging him deeper into suffering. He wanted to get out so desperately, but every deep breath he tried to take met with shredding pain, the kind that sank deep into the bones of a man, meaning to destroy him completely. 

Arthur had a dreading feeling. Something loomed over his shoulder the entire training, making him so distracted he almost got caught off guard by a novice knight, sparring with the prince for the first time and wanting to make the best impression. Arthur would never let someone new swipe him off his feet, but even the possibility of this happening forced him to think why is his mind absent.  
He wasn’t pleased that he knew the answer to it immediately.  
Merlin seemed off this morning. He was a clumsy idiot as usual, making Arthur get up with his usual cheerful chirping, but something felt different. He responded with awkward smile instead of a snarky comment when Arthur insulted him and didn’t even complain when he gave him a few additional duties. That was so unusual that he remained quiet during breakfast, only shooting him a quick glance when he went for training. He could see it in the way his fingers twitched when he didn’t hold anything, how his eyes wandered all over the floor, searching for an answer to his thoughts. Arthur didn’t like when his servant behaved like that, all clouded and gloomy. He looked like that only when Arthur was in danger. But now he wasn’t. So, what was wrong?  
He motioned for one of the senior knights and ordered him to lead the rest of the training. It was quite a long one and his Father said he needed him after training, so he gladly made it back to armoury. Not that he could focus on training anymore.  
One of better parts of finishing his training was Merlin awaiting him in armoury, bent against his armour and exposing his collarbones. He would then smile at him and talk about nonsense, and Arthur would sit and wait for him to finish before they could get back to his chambers and prepare him for a meeting with the king. The corridors would be filled with their banter and laughter, mostly muffled when they would come across side-eyeing servants.  
He entered the room with a faint smirk, ready to counterattack any insult Merlin managed to come up with during his absence, but instead of cheerfulness and a sheepy grin what he was met with was his Merlin laying on stone cold floor, two guards standing above him. He looked unbearably pale, sweat starting to form on his forehead. The guards looked guilty enough so that Arthur only shouted at them to back off instead of charging at them at that moment. He crouched next to Merlin, looking too vulnerable and oh so delicate and shook him, trying to bring his mind back from its journey. But it was too late- thick tear steaks had already marked his cheeks and his eyes were lost, focused in one place but absent. They were watery and red, losing their always present gold flicker that Arthur observed every day. His hands started shaking a little, his prince persona slipping in the place of distressed Arthur, taking Merlin in his arms and running, telling the guards to run for Gaius. It only took him a couple of seconds to realize that his presence was soothing for Merlin- his body slightly relaxed but trying hard to hold onto the chest plate, warm from the embrace of the sun. and so, Arthur’s running towards his chambers, promising himself that he will not let Merlin go under any circumstances.  
***  
He laid Merlin on his bed gently. He squirmed when Merlin unconsciously tried to hang onto him, his cold fingers running across the metal. He had to held them in his hand, positioning his head on pillow. Merlin eventually gave up, laying still. His eyes were closed now but his brows were still furrowed.  
He managed to change his clothes and eat something brought in by George while Gaius examined Merlin, his hands a little shaky from worry caressing Merlin’s ashen cheek. Gaius said that it was a type of shock related to trauma and it was pretty severe. He mentioned that Merlin once had something similar, one particular night after Merlin’s best friend Will died and Merlin was left with nightmares and grief. Merlin was then exhausted both in body and mind, so now it’s mostly the same he should rest and stay away from whatever might’ve caused it. He gave Arthur calming draught to give Merlin if he woke up on his own and didn’t feel better- Gaius didn’t want to force the remedy into his unconscious body (mostly because he knew from his other adventures that Merlin’s magic reacted very hostile to anything foreign in Merlin’s body, it left him with smoked eyebrows while Merlin only smacked his lips and snored more, clearly unaware of this). It took Gaius one look at Arthur’s expression to know that Merlin wasn’t going anywhere. He excused himself, saying that he had other work to tend to and mentioning that he will come back briefly in the evening. Arthur almost didn’t register it, his callused hand holding tightly the draught. He was looking at Merlin all this time, frowning every time Merlin fainted gasps reached his ears.  
He stayed like that until night slipped into the room, covering everything in a thick layer of gloom. Someone came in, lighting the fireplace and chasing out the darkness. They saw the prince crouched in a chair, observing his manservant anxiously sleeping in his covers. Something fond creeped it’s way to servants’ eyes, making them smile a little and exit the chambers as quiet as possible.  
Arthur registered that someone lit the fire only because soft shapes of the flame started to run across Merlin’s sharp cheekbones, illuminating them from an angle that made Merlin look almost ethereal. Arthur’s breath hitched a little, moving from his position to take a closer look at Merlin’s face, accidentally giving the light more access to Merlin’s skin. Now he was completely covered in a faint glow, making Arthur lose his balance mid action and smash his elbow into armrest. He gently massaged pained part of his body, nervously checking if Merlin stirred up- luckily, the man didn’t react.  
Arthur wondered how someone could look so beautiful. He looked ideal in his covers, like his place always been there. It still looked a bit unnatural with his complexion looking so pale, but Arthur silently vowed to himself that he will find out how Merlin would look in his bed with flushed cheeks and a wide, sleepy smile. No more dancing around each other, bantering like they were an old married couple and avoiding any lingering gazes they shoot a teach others backs.  
He was almost sure that Merlin felt the same. He sometimes caught him staring at his body, his hand polishing armour mimicking where his eyes went. He was the one that drank poison for him, making Arthur’s heart stop. He was the first one to be by his side after any attack, looking for wounds first and then staring into Arthur’s eyes, asking the silent question. Arthur was always mesmerized how dark Merlin’s eyes looked then- deep, stormy waves promising vengeance if anyone dared to touch Arthur. Each time Arthur was shaken to the core by them, the utmost loyalty and passion piercing straight to his bones, making him thoughtless and afraid to let that moment go.  
So now all Merlin had to do was wake up for Arthur to finally make a move, changing their destiny for better.


	2. The Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not proofread by anyone, so I apologise in advance for any mistakes. This chapter is a little shorter, but I'm already working on the last part. Enjoy your reading!

Ch. 2  
Merlin awoke to overwhelming softness and soothing noise of wood crackling in the distance. He breathed in without opening his eyes, knowing that this could be the only time he was in a situation like this.   
He blinked open his heavy eyelids, from the gateway seeing a figure sitting on a chair beside him, their limbs somehow squished between the armrest into the worst sleeping position ever. From the place Merlin laid he could see a fluff of blonde locks sticking out, lightly illuminated by fire. They looked like a soft flame, the kind that you would want to touch, even though you know how much it would burn.   
Merlin tried to sit up. His head immediately exploded at the movement, making him groan.  
This was enough for Arthur to wake up. His head shot up, confusion mixed with alert. Immediately, his eyes went to Merlin, comically wide when he found Merlin looking at him. He tried to get out of the chair, only to fail miserably. He grasped the bed to prevent the meeting of his face and floor. Merlin automatically tried to help him, aiming to prop his shoulders, yet somehow, he ended up with his hands on Arthur’s cheeks. His cold fingers felt every inch of a warm skin of Arthur’s face. The prince halted in his comical position- his gaze stuck on Merlin. The man inhaled sharply, unable to avert his eyes from the sky blue that swam in Arthur’s irises. He dazedly leaned in.   
He stopped mere inches from Arthur’s face, caressing it with his warm breath. He felt the heat coming from the other man. It was strangely addictive, being so close and sharing the same air.   
But then, the faces of guards flashed through his mind. He stiffened and withdrew, gulping loudly. He couldn’t do it. Not when even the thought of someone finding out about his magic made him lose his senses. He withdrew himself, leaning into cold duvets.   
He looked down, clasping his shaking hands into fist. He was unable to see the pained expression that flashed through Arthur’s face.   
‘’Are you feeling better?” the prince asked after a long silence. His voice was nothing but gentle. He sat right in the chair again, still felling the tingling warmth that came with Merlin’s hands. He was more than eager when Merlin came closer to him, wanting to finally taste the mouth he fantasied about- if they were as soft as he imagined, plump and rosy when he watched them stretch in a smile and red and swollen when they finished exploring each other.  
“I’m still a little out of it” Merlin whispered, making Arthur’s heart sink a little. He wasn’t so sure about how true Merlin’s actions from a while ago were now. Arthur would look like some perverted power abuser if he tried to make a move on Merlin while he was struggling.   
” You can just rest, it’s not like you’re going to be any good now in this condition” he teased, hoping for some snarky remark but Merlin only raised the corner of his mouth slightly, looking away. The blood boiled in Arthur. It was rare to see Merlin down and when it happened, the prince could feel every ounce of self-restriction evaporate from his body.   
He guided Merlin back onto pillows, briefly realising how they would smell like him afterwards. He told him to not worry and put the draught Gaius brought into his cool hands, advising him to drink it. Only after he noticed the wrinkles in Merlin’s face smooth out, he got out of the room, headed to a place he knew he will lose all his temper in.   
***  
They were screwed.   
It took one glance from their supervisor to know that they should hide. They bolted to their room, to guilty about Merlin to see that they looked like some delinquents running away.   
Wallace was pacing, unsure what to do next. They both knew that sooner or later they would have to stand before the prince and confess what were they doing with Merlin. The problem was that until the moment came, they would have to come up with good enough lie to cover the fact that it was all about magic. Merlin’s magic to be exact.   
Had he stolen something from them? It was too far stretched, considering he would only think of doing such a thing when he believed that they are somewhat connected to one of many assassination attempts, but now it was far too peaceful in Camelot. They couldn’t blame it on them joking and going too far either- they weren’t close enough- it would just look like they were trying to harass him.   
Then there was a matter of the other guards. They stupidly told them that they did something regarding prince’s wellbeing. Now they must take that into account admit to lying.   
This got way too complicated. Their hands were tied until the prince demands an answer. Then it will be a matter of manipulating the facts and using proper words to try and get out of this situation not hurting anyone, especially Merlin. They did not have to say anything to know that they have to protect him and reasons of his reaction.   
It was a long time since they saw anyone react this way. It was pure, raw fear that they saw in his eyes. Like a pyre was just lit up in front of him.   
Wallace was a man that was forced into war from a young age. The little kingdom he was from was always on a verge of war, making kids join its ranks and fight for freedom. Magic was not illegal there and even some of the sorceress join the army to fight. He often travelled with them, being more of a servant than a soldier when he was barely bigger than a sword he was supposed to wield. It was then that he saw that for a first time- a look of complete resignation, like they all knew that sooner or later they will have to pay the price for their abilities. They could sense which fights were their last- the way they parted with the companions was always heart-breaking to watch, and the silence that followed the loss was unbearable to the young ears. That’s when Wallace promised himself that he will escape from war.  
It didn’t turn out the way he planned, he landed with a job as a guard in the castle of one of the most endangered royal family in these lands after all. But that wasn’t the point. The point was that he was slowly freaking out and there was nothing he could do about it.  
Garret was the complete opposite of him in that moment. They both had cheerful personalities, spiked with wide smiles and a bit of idiotic sense of humour, but it was times like this that shown their difference. Wallace was always the one to freak out, franticly pulling his hair and thinking of every possible outcome, while Garret was calm and collected, ready to ease out the anxiety of his partner.  
It was the same now. He extended his arm, catching the tunic of his lover. He forcefully yanked him to his side, making him land on their bed. He then proceeds to tangle his hands into the others velvet locks, running through them like a mother would to tame the nerves of her child.   
“It was almost painful watching him” Wallace mumbled out, his eyes on Garret. “I felt like I was a child and I’ve seen them march to their death again. I felt like I was nine again”.  
“I’m sorry you had to go through that” Garret apologised. “It was a tough decision to try and talk to him and possibly bear his secret, but we should’ve left it alone. We could’ve just lied and insinuate that we thought Merlin was prince’s bedwarmer or something and wanted to warn him to not talk so loudly about their relationship.”  
The thought of the embarrassing conversation that would ensue made Wallace snort, shaking his head with a soft expression. It sounded a hundredth times better than the plan they came up with. It was too late now anyway.  
A sudden pounding startled them, making them jump and hitting each other on the foreheads. They quickly scrambled up and straightened their clothes, sure that there could only be one person behind the door. 

Each step helped Arthur to regain control over his instincts. He managed to mostly calm down before entering corridor leading to guards rooms. On his way to interrogate, he met the superior of The Two- if he wasn’t so pumped up and adamant about receiving immediate answers, he could almost appreciate the subtlety with which the man set up the meeting, trying to give a good word in for his subordinates. There was no point in pretending that Merlin was a special case and that he should be treated a little differently that they could treat other servants, although if someone would ask for the superiors’ opinion, the whole situation was a little overdramatic. Nevertheless, it was always worth a try to ease the waters before the confrontation.   
The prince banged on the guard’s door, reprimanding himself mentally for the action sounding way more hostile that he anticipated. He heard a ruckus coming from inside and a few seconds later he was met with a face of equally distressed and flushed guards.   
He stepped in, not caring to spare a glance for the room. He stood in the centre of it, waiting for the men to stand before him. When they obeyed the non-verbal command, he was then able to take a closer look at them.   
He was sure he knew them. They never spoke a word in his presence, but he recognised them from the numerous times they stood in front of his chambers or Gaius’s quarters when he had a habit of busting in, demanding his servant’s attention. His skin began to crawl. These were the man that were meant to guard Merlin and him, and instead they hurt him. This cannot slide.  
He crossed his arms, choosing between three different ways he could start when he noticed something.   
The guards were holding hands. They stood so close to each other their clothes practically covered the death grip they had on each other. The calmer and taller one figured out where Arthur’s eyes went and he held his gaze, almost like throwing him a glove in a challenge. It was clearly visible he was protecting the second man who was trembling a little, looking at everything but the prince.   
Arthur exhaled. He thought that when he will see them, the rage boiling within him will finally spill out, attacking the men responsible for everything, but now all that was left was a desire to get done with it and return to Merlin’s side.   
“I want to know what’s going on” he stated in the end.” Merlin was with me on many adventures and he faced countless shapes of danger. Why did he react like that when all you’ve done was mere conversation?”  
***  
They messed up. For the nth time in this few hours Garret scolded himself internally for thinking that talking about magic with Merlin was a good idea. They should’ve just kept their mouth shut. But now they have to convince the prince that their intentions were nothing but noble. And for that something they have been questioning before popped tight into his mind.   
“We were just concerned, sire” prince’s gaze flicked right over to him.” It’s no secret that all the castle knows about the adventures and troubles that concern magic and challenge the crown of Camelot. It’s also known that almost always it’s you, sire, and your manservant Merlin that face this countless trouble and come back victorious. That’s when suspicion arises”, he made a small pause, checking how absorbed the prince was. Garret had his upmost attention. “There’s no doubt that sire, trained since birth and learnt in the ways of conquering his enemies always returns unwounded, but it’s really peculiar that a scrawny boy from a small village can do the same.”   
“And what’s your conclusion?”   
“He should be dead” Garret winced internally at the daggers the prince’s stare stabbed him with the moment those words left his mouth. “There’s no way he could’ve survived every time. Poisoned drink, witchcraft, love spells, enchantments- he was always there with you, Sire, looking like a lost lamb prancing around Camelot until one day everything comes back to normal and suddenly, he’s there by your side again.”  
“Are you accusing my manservant of treason?” Prince’s voice was nothing but a mere whisper, but a tone of it was enough to know that Garret was slowly digging his own grave.  
“I would never, sire. But it seems like he’s mostly the one that solves all the problems behind the curtains. How is he able to do that? Our guess is that someone… very knowledgeable about sorcery is helping him to gain his trust. Maybe someday this trust will be granted, and they will use him to get close to you and your family, sire. That’s all we are concerned about.”   
There was a long silence. The prince seemed to contemplate something, letting them stay before him and squirm under the sheer volume of suspense. Wallace finally felt brave enough to look at prince’s face. He breathed shakily at the sight before his eyes.   
The prince was almost shaking. His eyes drawn to stone cold floor, full of worry and anxiety. His brows were furrowed, and with his slightly reddened cheeks and stiffed jaw he looked like someone trying to come up with desperate excuse. But why would he need one?   
It dawned upon him. How didn’t he think of it sooner? It seemed pretty logical now, thinking back at all the half-assed excuses they heard while stationed under physician’s quarters. They often snickered that prince was so focused on himself he probably didn’t even registered them, but now it was seen in a different life.   
Wallace decided to risk it. They were already dancing on a thin line, their bodies swaying in all directions, never really regaining their balance. He had to risk it.   
“It’s a load of crap sire!” he suddenly exclaimed, a little louder that he wanted. He let go of Garrets hand, stepping before him. He puffed his chest, looking like a rooster trying to scare off a wolf.” We heard him. Garret and I. Blabbering about having to use magic to save you, sire, loud enough for the entire castle to hear him. We didn’t know what to do so we just wanted to talk to him. One mention about a secret and his on the floor crying. We never wanted to hurt him. We just wanted to warn him.”


	3. The Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me longer than I expected to post this, but I hope you like it. It's very rare for me to write any romantic scenes, so I hope it didn't come out to stiff.  
> Enjoy your reading!

Arthur knew about Merlin’s magic.  
He wasn’t as thick as some people thought. He caught on a week after the first encounter with his manservant.   
It was the middle of the night. He wasn’t able to sleep. The fire that Merlin lit up in the evening was nothing but warm ashes and the wind that howled and collided with stone walls of the castle did not exactly help him rest either.  
He recalled the past few days that were filled with sharp cheekbones and that stupid red handkerchief. How was someone able to be born in a village, filled with sunny days and hard work and still become as pale and slim? He looks fragile, just like a girl that Arthur liked comparing him to. And how is he able to do all the things Arthur orders him to?   
Every day, he dumps him with every task he’s able to come up with and yet Merlin always delivers, staggering into his room every night with a tray full of food- that he almost drops- and that satisfied smile of his. Was he really this clumsy? To the point of making himself and idiot?  
When Arthur fought with him in the lower town, it was Arthur that embarrassed himself in front of audience, stumbling over tools and getting his weapon caught up in the dangling metal chains. He never did that.   
Maybe it was because he distracted himself too much. He couldn’t shake off the feeling of deep amazement every time he looked into the boy’s eyes. He was certain that they were blue, but every once in a while, they would shine like they contained golden dust in them.   
Arthur sat upright. Golden dust? What the hell was he thinking? There’s no way blue could turn into gold. There was no way because there would be only one explanation for that.   
Magic.   
The revelation that his new manservant possibly had magic had been met with unexpected calmness from his side.   
It was weird, he’s always been wary of magic related things, even though he didn’t share his father’s disgust about witchcraft. But now, he wasn’t scared. It was even weirder- the only thing he could feel was a wave of security, so big and overwhelming he couldn’t focus on anything else.   
He laid there, trying to cope with all the revelations. What is he supposed to do now? Magic was very much illegal, and he had no idea how in the world Merlin would think that living here in Camelot would be safe. He should be in Ealdor, in kingdom where he wouldn’t be hunt down. So why was he here?   
He didn’t have to wait too long for the answer. Because apparently Merlin was able to do only one thing correctly- getting between Arthur and any kind of danger.   
Bandits falling under the weight of suddenly snapping branches, evil sorceress unmasked before the court’s eyes, knights enchanting their swords and failing when their weapons betrayed them. Every time it was Merlin, shuffling anxiously through the castle and losing sleep to find the right spells.   
It was always him, yet Arthur was unable to give him any type of recognition. He was afraid that when it finally gets out that he knows, everything will change. He would have to bear Merlin’s secret with him, lying to his father and Morgana. He didn’t know if he would be able to be a prince and a traitor at once.  
And so, he waited. The more time passed, the easier it was to ignore everything. In rare times, when everything his manservant has done came crushing onto him, with the sudden wave of guilt and helplessness, he tried to appreciate him, weaving his thanks into insults. Seeing Merlin’s fond smile thanks to his words, grateful and intimate made Arthur’s heart swell.   
It was that time that he realized something else. The reason why he didn’t send him away, why he turned the blind eye and let Merlin protect him all this time.   
He fancied him.  
Merlin. The pale, lanky, manservant with wide ears and wine-stained clothes from all the times Merlin spilled it and Arthur pointed it out so he couldn’t remove them with magic. The idiot that thought stopping every threat by himself was his life purpose. 

And now, that idiot was in danger. Arthur’s breath hitched. The guard was looking at him, all wide-eyed and uncertain. It was clear that his outburst was unexpected even for him.  
This was the point where everything changes. He no longer could have the luxury of ignoring every side of Merlin. Now he has to clean up this mess and face the future together.   
He always thought that Merlin’s secret would be revealed in some kind of big battle, the one that takes lives and threatens the entire kingdom. With shouting soldiers and despair in the air, Merlin would unleash his true strength, finally appearing as the man of power he was. Well, life plays everything on its own accord.   
“Listen to me carefully now” he said at last, trying to calm his mind. ”The fact that you didn’t immediately tell my father means that for some reason you don’t want to make another person suffer. It’s my order to keep this secret to your graves. Do you understand me?”  
The guards looked at each other. Their gazes met, one still lost and uncertain and the second one gentle and reassuring. Their silent conversation sparked jealousy to spill inside Arthur. Maybe in the future he would be able to have something like this with Merlin. He really hopes so. 

Problem with the guards was solved. They swore to keep the secret and told him everything that they were able to overhear. Arthur was sure that in the future they could be a valuable asset in trying to deal with magic secretly. But now was not the time to think about something like that. Now it was time to go back to Merlin. 

This time when Merlin woken up, the room was empty. The fire went out completely, and he shivered, looking at the room cautiously. Arthur was gone and probably on his way to talk to the guards.   
A heavy feeling sank in Merlin’s stomach. He collapsed even before they were able to finish their sentence, but he knew what they were talking about.   
All people in Camelot had this look while talking about magic. That glint making their eyes look unnatural and frantic. Like an animal waiting to see if what’s before them is really their prey or not.   
It’s one of the worst things Merlin encountered. Magical creatures and witches weren’t half as scary as the suspense that wrecked his guts every time he thought he was seconds away from the fire.  
The guard’s faces were open and friendly, but their eyes clearly told him that he should think about running. It was too much for him to handle- it was less than two weeks ago that he managed to unravel the enchantment cast by the last visiting princess. His nerves didn’t have time to come back to normal, the relative peace mixed with constant alert.   
But enough about himself. It was nice while it lasted, laying in the prince’s bed and all, but he needed to start working.   
He scrambled out of the sheets. He made the bed, his legs still shaking, and fingers now numb from the cold. He assessed the room. There was no mess to clean up, but the fire died out and there was no supper waiting for the prince. That needed to be fixed. Immediately.

When Arthur came back to his chambers, there was no sight of Merlin. Instead, the fire roared stronger than before and a steaming plate waited for him on the table.   
He took the plate in one hand and dragged a chair in front of the fireplace. He seated himself comfortably, trying to enjoy his dinner.   
It didn’t take him long to realize that he wasn’t even able to taste it. All he could think about was Merlin.  
Why was he out of bed? He looked so exhausted before, so why did he did all this? Was he anxious about what he heard from the guards? Is he feeling better now? Why isn’t he here with him? What in the world could he possibly be doing?

When Arthur ate before the fireplace, Merlin carried buckets full of water to prince’s chambers. Originally, he wanted to give up on preparing the bath, but after doing everything he planned he found that doing nothing made him anxious again.   
And so, to occupy his mind, he not only travelled all the way to the well for some water- before that he also helped out the new clumsy servant that couldn’t handle the big bundles of laundry, listened to the cook’s rant about knights sneaking in and stealing food, and popped in to check with Gaius that scolded him for getting out of bed. Even though it was a middle of the night, the servant’s part of the castle was still full of life and commotion, preparing for the days ahead.  
It was silly, he knew it. If Arthur found out about his magic he would already be in stocks, fearing for the tomorrow. As long as he didn’t see the glint in his eyes, he should feel safe.   
He should, but that didn’t stop his anxiety from rearranging his guts and twisting them painfully. The buckets became anvils, pinning him to the ground, their weight piercing sensation in his burning arms.  
Maybe Gaius was right, he thought briefly while catching his breath on the stairs- he really was weaker than usual.  
This attacks of his didn’t happen often. They weren’t this big either- Gaius was the witness of one only because the sheer terror blinded and numbed him so much that for hours he couldn’t realise where he was and who he was supposed to be. The loss of Will and his sacrifice left this gaping hole inside of him, and he wasn’t able to truly grieve like he wanted to- not with Arthur in sight.   
And so, he lost the contact with world.   
It was painfully easy sometimes- only a mere second of “looking out of the window” while cleaning Arthur’s chamber or “leaning on a shovel to rest” while mucking out the stables. In these glimpses of pure nothingness, he could let it all go and just exist.   
No dangers, no chores, no fighting to survive. Just being, frozen between life and death.  
He knew that he was a human. He never once doubted it, feeling the cold and the hit, the aching and tiredness. But he knew that he was a vessel. A one-of-a-kind special occasion, when magic wanted to stay caged inside something so physical. 

And so, sometimes the vessel became covered with cracks. The ones that are made when you bump a vase into a corner of a table or set it on the wood with too much force, wondering if you damaged it. They were not dangerous, just irritating enough that you could never forget about them.   
When they became mosaics, covering his body with imaginary shapes only Merlin noticed, all it took is one stare. Or one comment in a heat of the moment. Or one situation when worry overtook him, his magic surging to protect his prince. One thing, and suddenly he felt like he would crumble to the ground with pieces.   
And so, he was pushed out into nothingness while his vessel healed. It was quick and painless, but every time he felt weird for few days. Like he got a new pair of clothes and a few hours would need to past before he felt comfortable enough in them. 

The feeling was now the same, only on larger scale. The burning of his arms felt familiar enough, but it was also odd in a very magic-that-I-don’t-understand-even-though-I’m-Emrys way.   
He knew that few days earlier he managed to somehow come up with how take the weight of the things he carried without having to find any spells. He prided in that, showing of before Gaius, walking around with their table in one hand. Of course, everything slipped off of it and shattered, so he had to stop “joking around” and clean up the mess.  
Now, he didn’t want to use that. From his experience he knew that the pain was the first thing that grounded him and put everything in place. He despised that, but he needed to be himself to protect Camelot. The second was Arthur’s presence and command. Strangely enough, all it took was a word from Arthur and suddenly he was fully functioning again, ready for service.   
Merlin was always clear with his feelings- he knew how much he wanted Arthur. He dreamt about being embraced by him, sweet words whispered in his ear that everything will be alright. They would hide their smiles during hunting trips, finally laying snuggled with each other by the fire.   
After a long way of howling the buckets, he both anticipated and dreaded meeting with Arthur.   
He didn’t knock, opening the doors as gently as he could.   
Arthur was sitting by the fireplace, a plate with unfinished supper laying by his feet. He rested his head on his fist, staring off into the flames.   
It took Merlin a painfully quiet walk to the bathtub and filling it as quietly as possible to see that Arthur’s eyes were closed. Fantastic. He hoped that when the prince will wake up, he’d be too tired to notice that the water that awaits him will still be almost hot. 

Merlin still wasn’t back. He had already forgotten his food, letting it get cold.   
The intrusive thoughts couldn’t leave him. He closed his eyes with a grunt, reminding himself that Merlin was a man capable of taking care of himself and Arthur shouldn’t stand over him like a mother hen. He didn’t like to think about his protectiveness in that way- he would much better prefer to treat it as trying to protect his beloved, but he couldn’t do that. He quietly hoped for that to change in the near future.  
He debated whether or not should he start looking for Merlin when he heard his manservant’s footsteps.  
Recognizing the way people walked has been his ability since he was a child. If it was his nanny, he knew he could be relaxed. If his Father graced him, he would have to tense up and look like he was learning Very Important Things.   
With time, he could put different footsteps within categories. Hard and somewhat tired for the knights and guards. Soft and almost undetectable for servants, especially during feasts. Strong and confident for visiting noble or court members, of course.   
Merlin’s ones were unique. He tried to be delicate like the rest of the servants, but he failed miserably, giving the end result of deaf cat trying to sneak and not knowing how loud it was in reality.   
Thanks to that, Merlin got into his own special category. And for a few other reasons. 

Arthur decided to sit still and see what Merlin will do.   
He stood for a bit before the door, his breaths heavy. Was he running? Why for?   
The door opened quietly. Merlin seemed to be struggling, grunting while dragging something with him. What was he doing?   
Arthur’s body ached to move, to face Merlin and see if everything is alright, yet he stayed still. Turned out it was buckets- Merlin poured the water into the tub, exhaling loudly when he stretched out.   
Why in the world did he start to prepare the bath? He shouldn’t even work now, let alone carrying so much.   
It was time. No more beating around the bush, no more keeping secrets.

Merlin began to lift the buckets again, now relaxed that Arthur was asleep. Two or three more times hauling the buckets and he could try waking him up. If he got lucky, maybe Arthur would be too grumpy to try and talk to him. It would give him more time, at least until morning.   
“You can stop now.”  
Shit. Arthur’s raspy voice was even worse than the one he used for orders. It made Merlin almost immediately drop the buckets and wait for the other commands from his prince.   
He needed to work on that obedience.

Merlin was startled. Was his voice too loud? He tried to sound normal, but for him saying anything after such a long time of silence felt too forced and weird. He stood up and faced Merlin.   
He looked even more pale than before. Sweat sprinkled his face and dripped down his neck. His hands trembled a little. He clasped and unclasped his fingers, looking at Arthur with his big eyes.  
“Come sit with me.”  
Arthur guided Merlin to the bed, almost forcing him to sit down. Their bodies almost pressing together, Arthur could feel the cold crawling through Merlin’s skin.   
He didn’t know how to say it. He had so much time to prepare himself, and yet his mind was completely blank. He has one chance. He needs to make it count.

It was weird sitting in Arthur’s bed again. Even more when the prince was within his hand’s reach, looking concerned.   
Merlin didn’t like when Arthur was worried. He wanted to ease him, but he didn’t know how to. Also, the anxiety that was slowly building up in him didn’t help either. His emotions were like a thunderstorm inside of him, but on the outside he was like a sculpture, stone frozen in time. 

“Merlin” Arthur said to catch Merlin’s attention. His servant’s eyes landed on his, obedient and waiting for his words. “As you very well know, I’m good with words” he started, not really knowing where he was going with this. “I’ve never had any problems to say what’s on my mind. At least not until now.”  
He clasped Merlin hands and pulled them to himself, making Merlin lean in. Their faces were as close as before when Merlin was laying in his bed. Like he should be.   
“I need you to listen to me now. No interrupting, no running. You look at me and focus on me. Understood?” he tightened his slightly, just enough to feel Merlin’s quick pulse under his fingertips. He was so worried that Merlin would collapse again and get hurt because of him again that he had to say everything low and slow, afraid that his voice might tremble.  
The man nodded quickly, wide-eyed and earnest. He looked fine enough.   
“I’ve talked with guards. Everything’s resolved now” he started quietly, grimacing when a shadow flew over his manservant’s face.” You’ve got nothing to worry about. They won’t bother you anymore. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”  
He paused then. He wanted to drop the subject so badly. Dismiss everything with sarcasm and mockery, just to delay the confrontation.   
Deep down, he knew that this moment of truth will reveal how Merlin truly feels about him. With all the magic and them both keeping secrets out in the open, they will be bare and vulnerable. One wrong word and they will never go back to being friends. One right word and there might be something new and fantastic. Something he didn’t even want to dream about in case of his feelings and hope getting ahead of him.   
He just needs to screw it all.   
“Merlin, I know that you have magic.”

It was all Arthur needed to say. Tears started flowing down Merlin’s face, his expression of guilt and poor fear. The prince didn’t know how to act, holding Merlin’s hands even tighter.   
Then suddenly, Merlin froze. He stared in shock at Arthur’s eyes, his breath hitched.   
“You don’t have the look” he whispered weakly, his shoulder starting to tremble.” You don’t have the look…”

Merlin was lost. Really, truly lost. Arthur knew about his magic. And yet, instead of hauling him to the stocks he was sitting with him, holding his hands and looking at him with nothing but worry.   
He didn’t have the look. His eyes weren’t ones of a predator. Instead, they were soft and welcoming, trying to calm him down.   
His magic became dancing within him even before sparks of relief and hope set his insides in flames.   
Arthur knew about him. He still trusted him, still regarded him as his friend. He wasn’t disgusted or disappointed.   
What type of dream was that?  
He was so deep into his emotions and magic that he didn’t even register that concerned Arthur hugged him, trying to bring him back with his words.  
It got to Merlin as a wave of whispered “Everything will be alright’s” and “You’re safe now’s”. He eased into the embrace, letting his head fall to Arthur’s shoulder.   
He was so tired. He moulded to Arthur, in a haze registering how perfect their bodies felt pressed together. 

Feeling Merlin at his side was so nice, Arthur barely contained himself from dragging Merlin onto his lap. He was breathing onto his neck, his eyes closed shut. It sent shivers down Arthur’s back, but he knew that this wasn’t that king of situation. He should focus on Merlin’s wellbeing.  
They stayed like that for a long time. Arthur thought about rocking them lightly like his nanny used to do, but he wasn’t sure if Merlin would like that.   
“Every time someone talks about magic in Camelot” Merlin began quietly after calming down,” they always have this look in their eyes. Like they’re on a hunting trip and sorcerers are their targets. The guards had the same look. Like they trapped a helpless deer and didn’t exactly knew what they wanted to do with it. I hate it.”   
Is that how it was, having magic in Camelot? Arthur couldn’t fathom the amount of fear that must’ve accompanied Merlin simply because he was alive.   
Why the hell did Merlin stay in Camelot? What was so important that he has to stay here?   
“But you are different” Merlin continued, catching Arthur’s attention again.” You don’t feel like that. You feel like a friend that would shield me instead of attack. I like that…”  
“I’ve known that you have magic for quite some time” Arthur began. Merlin didn’t react.” I figured that you had more than just luck while fighting with me. Then I’ve started to notice every time you used magic to try and help me.”   
Hearing that, Merlin sat up straight, his hands on Arthur’s arms.   
“I’ve only used magic for you” his face is determined and earnest now, so different from what it was mere minutes ago.” If it was ever meant to hurt somebody, it was towards your enemies.”  
“I know” Arthur smirks.” So many years traveling through forests and only after your arrival I have encountered so many strategically fallen branches.”  
“Arthur, I’m serious.” Merlin fingertips dug into his skin.” I need you to know that I’ve only done it for you.”

Merlin was desperate. Arthur knew of him, but has he understood? Understood that his magic was meant for him, that they were the two sides of a coin. He needs to tell him so much- all the times that Arthur thought that Merlin disappeared on him, all the weird situations he had to put himself into, all the…  
But Arthur knew his secret. That must’ve meant that he played along all the ridiculous things Merlin came up with.   
Merlin punched Arthur’s arm.  
“You complete buffoon” he started, feeling the corner of his lip lift up at the sight of loss in Arthur’s face.” I made myself look like and idiot so many times! Half of my precious time was spent to think of good enough excuse for his royal prattiness, and yet you always knew!”  
He hoped Arthur took the bait. The fear of the pyre was still to fresh, the shadows of doubt still looming over him. Right now, he had to believe in Arthur and chase those thoughts away. If almost everything was out in the open, he had all the time in this world to tell Arthur everything.  
But for now, he just wanted to be happy.  
And so, without giving Arthur any time to react, he brought their lips together into a bruising kiss.

Arthur’s mind went blank. All he could register, all he could taste was Merlin’s lips on his and all he could think was “finally”.  
He embraced Merlin’s waist and brought him to his lap, changing the awkward position. The feeling of Merlin’s chest against his, the fast beating of his heart meeting Merlin’s with symphony was pure bliss.  
Magic, guards and whatnot was cast aside when the realization that Merlin was in his arms finally hit. It seems that he managed to not mess things up.   
Kissing with Merlin was everything he hoped for. Unsure and full of teeth at first, but once they’ve found their rhythm it was better than any daydream could’ve been. 

The sun started to rise as they laid atop of sheets, their legs tangled together and their faces centimetres apart. They were smiling, being able to look at each other freely and tell anything they wanted through their stares.   
It was a strange feeling. It was the first time in Merlin’s life that his magic was completely calm, singing inside of him like a little forest spring.   
Was Arthur all he needed for it to become tamed? Were their life’s really so connected that he wasn’t able to fully function without the prince?   
“What are you thinking about?” Arthur asked, caressing Merlin’s cheek with his thumb.   
“Just making a list of all the times I’ve saved a particular royal ass that he couldn’t know about” Merlin shrugged.” You know, to fill in the gaps.”  
Arthur huffed a laugh with this soft expression of his, and Merlin’s heart melted.   
“I guess it’s pretty long.”  
“Oh, it’ll take days for me to tell everything. I think I can get a few special meetings with the crowned head, can I?”  
“I propose one in evening or, perhaps even better, night hours. You know, just to be sure no one would want to disturb us.”  
“Perfect.”


End file.
